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MLB winter meetings should heat up with logjam broken

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA.—There is a train of thought that the huge events of the past week — the decision by Shohei Ohtani to accept a bid by the Angels, and Giancarlo Stanton accepting a trade to the Yankees — mean the winter meetings that commence Monday morning at the Dolphin Resort at Disney World will be devoid of movement and drama. Count me out.

I believe in the logjam theory, wherein there needs to be a setting of the bar for trades and free agents. Every team that believed they were in on Ohtani, or thought they could convince Stanton, now needs to look elsewhere — and elsewhere is still very interesting to watch as it unfolds over the next five days.

The Blue Jays are reportedly in the mix for Pirates all-star second baseman Josh Harrison (Brian Blanco / GETTY IMAGES)

Most winter meetings, among the 41 that I have now attended, begin slowly with either a major free agent or a pending trade holding up the proceedings. In 2000 in Dallas it was the Alex Rodriguez signing by the hometown Rangers. They held a press conference at the ballpark in the ice storm of the year in Texas.

In 2011, with the meetings also in Dallas, the Angels made the big splash by signing Albert Pujols. In 1992 in Louisville the great Barry Bonds made the decision to go to the Giants, while in 1988 in Atlanta hall of famer Nolan Ryan signed with the Rangers.

I believe the ’17 logjam is already broken.

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As far as the Blue Jays are concerned, the first substantial trade rumour surrounds second baseman Josh Harrison of the Pirates, with interest also from the Mets. What this means is that despite the acquisition of former all-star Aledmys Diaz from the Cardinals, the Jays remain very concerned about the health of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and second baseman Devon Travis.

The odds of Tulo playing on opening day would seem to be less than 50/50, despite optimism from the Jays, considering the sombre self-evaluation by the shortstop in September. As for Travis, just check his time on the disabled list over his Jays tenure and the need for help is obvious.

Now for some personal memories of the winter meetings:

The first ones I attended were also in Orlando, but not at Disney. The first meetings trade for which I wrote a news release while working for the Expos happened on Dec. 7, 1978, with Montreal acquiring left-hander Bill Lee for infielder Stan Papi. The previous night, at 2 a.m. I had been at the hotel pool having a deep conversation about my career with legendary Montreal Gazette sportswriter Ian MacDonald. At 24 years old, as I was spilling my thoughts about a future in baseball, I reached down to feel the water, stepped into the trough and pitched forward into the pool. Then the next day came Spaceman. Memorable.

In 1979, almost three years after the Blue Jays played their first game, the meetings were hosted by Toronto — the only time that has happened because of climate, although other northern cities have hosted since I began attending: Boston twice, Chicago, Indianapolis and Washington, D.C.

In 1980, on a snowy night at the winter meetings in Dallas — the night after I asked my wife Debbie, who was there working for a sports communications company, to marry me — we were in a cab with hockey hall of famer Michael Farber and Expos broadcast legend Jacques Doucet when news came on the radio that John Lennon had been shot and killed outside the Dakota apartments in New York.

Favourite war-room session? In the late ’80s there was a serious afternoon discussion in the Expos’ suite, led by then-GM Dave Dombrowski. The belief, from trolling the lobby, was that the Cubs were ready to deal shortstop Shawon Dunston and the Expos were ready to pounce. The excited chatter included building a trade package around utility infielder Tom Foley. At one point the question was asked of the people in the room: “Who here would not make that deal?” The late, great Whitey Lockman, then in his 70s, had been sitting by quietly. He said simply, “The Cubs.”

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In 1982 in Hawaii, there was a five-hour time difference so you always had to get up earlier. My PR buddy Ed Wade of the Phillies, who went on to become a major-league GM with the Astros, was an avid runner. I joined him one morning at 5:30 a.m. for a run up to the legendary Diamond Head. By the time we reached the base of the mountain I was exhausted so I went in for a coffee and a doughnut, picking Ed up on the way back. As he passed by upon his return I swung in beside him for the last sprint to the hotel. When we reached the front of the hotel, having worked up a serious sweat, Expos president John McHale and his wife Patty were coming back from breakfast and nodded their approval. I am convinced that moment cemented my PR job status.

The bottom line is that you can never predict what may happen at the winter meetings, but every GM feels that more can be accomplished in face-to-face sessions with other GMs and player agents, and that they owe it to their fan base to get something done before the holidays and the new year.

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